Means for moving the chill-mould in continuous casting plant



w. HESS 3,395,751

MEANS FOR MOVING THE CHILL-MOULD IN CONTINUOUS CASTING PLANT Aug. 6, 1968 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Dec. 1, 1965 Aug. 6, 1968 w. HESS 3,395,751

MEANS FOR MOVING THE CHILLMOULD IN CONTINUOUS CASTING PLANT Filed Dec. 1, 1965 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 12b 13a 14a 24 23:: 18010011 120 Aug. 6, 1968 w. HESS 3,395,751

MEANS FOR MOVING THE CHILL'MOULD IN CONTINUOUS CASTING PLANT Filed Dec. 1, 1965 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 United States Patent 3,395,751 MEANS FOR MOVING THE CHlLL-MOULD IN CONTINUOUS CASTING PLANT Walter Hess, Dusseldorf, Germany, assignor to Schloemann Aktiengesellschaft, Dusseldorf, Germany, a corporation of Germany Filed Dec. 1, 1965, Ser. No. 510,761 Claims priority, application Germany, Dec. 3, 1964, Sch 36,204 2 Claims. (Cl. 164-260) ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE Means for moving the chill-mould or chill-mould table of continuous casting plant, comprising two pairs of levers, which are rockable about two stationary pivots preferably extending parallel to one another in a plane, the levers of the two pairs being directed towards one another and pivotally connected with one another, and being pivotally connected at their free ends with the chill-mould or its table, and the pivotal connection of the levers with one another being unequally distant from the pivots constituting the fulcra of the levers.

The invention relates to a means for moving the chillmould of a continuous casting plant.

In continuous casting installations the molten metal is poured into a cooled chill-mould. Accordingly, the metal solidifies first in the marginal sense and forms a solid skin around the still molten metal in the core. In oredr to prevent the solidified metal sticking fast to the walls of the chill-mould, the chill-mould is continually moved up and down, or, in the case of horizontal installations, to and fro, by means of the above-mentioned device, through a definite distance, which may, however, by adjustable.

A moving means for the chill-mould table is known, which is particularly space-saving and sure in operation, and which at the same time allows good accessibility to the devices arranged beneath the chill-mould. In this known device the levers are rotatably connected with one another and are rockable about stationary pivots which extend parallel to one another in a plane, and the free ends of the levers are pivotally connected with the chillmould or its table; but in all the levers the fulcra of the levers are equidistant from the rotational connection between the levers; and the rotational connection of the being pivotally connected to their free ends with the table have so much clearance that the levers are rockable through a small angular range to permit an oscillating motion of the chill-mould or its table.

A moving means of this type permits only lineal movement of the continuous casting mould, and accordingly is to be used only for perpendicularly-working casting plants.

The problem of the invention is to create a moving means working on the above principle, the chill-mould table of which carries out an arcuate stroke movement, so that it can accordingly be used for casting installations where the continuous chill-mould is arcuate in shape.

This problem is solved, according to the invention, by the feature that is a lifting device formed by at least two levers, rotationally connected with one another and individually :rockable about stationary pivots extending parallel to one another in a plane, with the free ends of the levers pivotally connected to the chill-mould or its table, and with the pivotal connection of the levers with one another and with the chill-mould or its table having sufiicient clearance to permit rocking movement of the levers, the pivotal axes forming the fulcra of the levers are at ditferent distances from the rotational connection between the levers. By this means it is obtained ice that the mid-axis of the chill-mould table moves in an arc and thereby carries out a movement corresponding to the radius of the chill-mould.

As a simpler and therefore more advantageous drive for actuating the lifting device and rocking the levers pivotally connected with the chill-mould or its table, according to a further feature of the invention at least one further lever is provided, which is connected by a link or shackle with one of the levers pivoted to the chillmould or its table.

The invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings, which show an embodiment of the moving means of the invention, but in no restrictive sense.

FIGURE 1 shows a plan of the kinematic construction of the moving means of the invention.

FIGURE 2 shows the :main view of the moving means.

FIGURE 3 is a top view on FIGURE 2 in part-section part view.

FIGURE 4 is a section along the line IV-IV of FIG- URE 2.

The kinematic construction of the moving means of the invention is seen in FIGURE 1. By A is denoted a lever which is pivotably carried at its fixed pivot point 01 and is connected by means of a coupling point 02 with a lever B that is pivotably carried at its fixed pivot point 03. The coupling point 02 is located to an extent X elf-centre of the spacing 01-03. When the lever A is operated, its rotary motion is transmitted via the coupling point 02 to the lever B. On this movement, because of the off-centre position of the coupling point 02, a translation takes place in the transmitting of the rotary movement from lever A to lever B. As a result of this the endpoint of the lever A( O4) moves more slowly in the Vertical direction than does the endpoint of the lever B, that is designated with 05. The connecting line of the points O4-O5 accordingly carries out a pivot movement, wherein the mid-line of the extent O4*O5 moves in a curve that with a sufiiciently small pivot angle gives a very good approximation of an arc with the radius f.

In the embodiment shown, a pair of levers 10, 10a corresponds to the lever A, and a pair of levers 15, 15a to the lever B. In the embodiment the mid-lines of two pivot pins 14 and 14a correspond to the coupling point 02, said pivot pins being carried by an amount X olfcentre of the spacing of the two stationary pivot axes, running parallel to each other, of the pairs of levers 10, 10a and 15, 15a. In the embodiment shown, the midlines of pivot pins 13, 13a and 18, 18a correspond to the end-points of the levers A and B, 04 and 05. Two chillmould supports 23, 23a connected to the pivot pins 13-, 18 or 13a and 18a, correspond to the connecting line 04-05.

The drive of the moving means of the embodiment takes place by a rod member 1 which transmits the stroke movement from an eccentric 2 onto a lever 3.

The lever 3 is non-rotatably connected with the shaft 4 which in turn is pivotably carried in the bearings 5 and is fixed to the two lever arms 6 and 6a, to which two links 7 and 7a are pivotably connected by pivot pins 8, 8a. The said links 7, 7a, as seen from line IVlV in FIGURE 2 are connected at their other end by means of two pivot pins 9 and 9a to the pair of levers 10 and 10a, and transmit the stroke movement to the said pair of levers 10, 10a, carried in the bearing block 11 so as to pivot about the pivot pins 12, 12a. At the end of the pair of levers 10, 10a the two pivot pins 13 and 1311 are carried, and the two pivot pins 14 and are in each case fixed in the pair of levers 10, 10a in two bearing covers 21, as can be seen in FIGURE 3. The said pivot pins 14, 14a transmit the pendulum movement of the pair of levers 10, 10a to the pair of levers 15 and 15a,

each being carried in a slide ring 22 and 22a respectively. The slide rings 22, 22a have suflicient play in the levers 15, 15a: to make possible the necessary movement of the pair of levers 10 and 15. The two levers 15, 15a are fixed to pivot pins 12b, 12c and these are pivotably carried in the bearing block 17. Accordingly, also the two levers 15 and 15a are rigidly connected, via a shaft 16 which joins the pivot pins 12b and 120 non-rotatably together. At its other end the pair of levers 15 and 15a are provided with the two pivot pins 18 and 18a which pass through the pair of levers 10', 10a in two slots 19 sufficiently large to permit a movement of the levers. For the same reason the two levers 15, 15a are provided with slots 20 through which the pivot pins 13, 13a pass. A chill-mould table support 23 or 2311 respectively is connected to each of the pairs of pivot pins 13, 18 and 13a, 18a. To the two chill-mould table supports a chill-mould table 24 is fixed. The alteration in the spacing apart of the pairs of pivot pins 13, 18 and 13a, 18a occurring on the pivoting of the levers 10, 10a, 15 and 15a is so slight that the bearing clearance between the pivot pins and lever concerned is sufiicient to balance out this alteration without special constructional measures having to be taken.

I claim:

1. For moving the chill-mould or chill-mould table of a continuous-casting plant, a device comprising: at

least two levers rotationally connected with one another at a point of intersection, and individually rockable, at their fulcra, about stationary pivot pins which extend parallel to one another in a plane, the said levers being pivotally conected at their free ends with the chill-mould or its table, their pivotal connections with the chillmould or its table and with one another having sufficient clearance to permit a rocking movement of the levers, and the distances of their fulcra from their pivotal point of intersection being unequal.

2. For moving the chill-mould or the chill-mould table of a continuous casting plant a device as claimed in claim 1, further comprising: an additional rocking lever, and a link connecting this additional lever with one of the levers connecting the pivotally connected With tht: chillmould or its table.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,871,534 2/1959 Wieland 16483 XR 2,946,100 7/1960 Baier et a1. 16483 3,148,420 9/1964 Hess 164-260 3,200,456 8/ 1965 Harter et a1 16483 J. SPENCER OVERHOLS'ER, Primary Examiner.

R. S. ANNEAR, Assistant Examiner. 

